Blog Archives

COVID-19 Library Services Update

6/22/2020

We're open to serve you in the library or through curbside service! Click this link for the most up-to-date information about the impact of COVID-19 on library services.

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Register for CPL's Summer Reading Club!

6/15/2020

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Registration is now open for Castleton Public Library's Summer Reading Club! All ages can participate!

Register online at our READsquared site, at the library (by appointment), or by phone (518-732-0879).

Need some help getting started on READsquared? Click here to download a how-to guide. Still have questions? Email director@castletonpubliclibrary.org or call us at 518-732-0879.

You can start recording your reading and activities on the first official day of our Summer Reading Club - Saturday, June 27. You can register and log your reading all summer long!

Once you've registered, be sure to pick up a Summer Art Kit at the library, while supplies last! The art kit includes markers, crayons, scissors, glue, and a glue stick.

Prefer to record on paper? Download a copy of our summer activities and reading records, or pick up a copy at the library!

Whether you record your reading online or on paper, the more you read, the more chances you earn to win a prize! This year, our prizes are $30 Amazon gift certificates. We'll draw 30 winners! Submit your reading/activity logs by 6:00 p.m. on Monday, August 31 to be eligible for our prize drawings.

We'll also have special goody bags available to pick up at the library at the end of the program for all youth participants!

We're looking forward to a fun summer full of reading, exploration, and learning! Have questions about our Summer Reading Club? Email director@castletonpubliclibrary.org or call 518-732-0879.

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June 2020 Newsletter

6/2/2020

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News from Castleton Public Library - June 2020

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Notes from Our Director:

We're pleased to announce that we are beginning to reintroduce in-person services at our library! Here's a few important things to know about CPL's services at this time:

Curbside Pick-Up Service

Pick ups can be scheduled by appointment during our reduced hours of operation, from 1:00-6:00 p.m., Monday through Friday. Pick-up orders are limited to 10 items per patron, per day. Same-day pick-up may not be available if all appointment slots are full. The latest pick-up time is 5:45 p.m.
Only curbside service is offered at this time; the library building remains closed to the public.
To place an order for specific titles: Request books, DVDs and other materials online using our online catalog or by calling 518-732-0879. Holds will be filled in the order they are requested. We appreciate your patience; it will take longer than usual to fill holds due to differences in library reopening schedules, high demand, and enhanced safety protocols. You will be notified by an automated email or robocall when your materials are ready for pickup. After you receive the automated notification, call the library at 518-732-0879 to make an appointment to pick up your items. You will have 7 days to pick up your item(s). After 7 days, your item(s) will be placed back on the shelves.
Interested in a genre or topic rather than specific titles (for example, cozy mystery books for an adult, or transportation-themed picture books for a preschooler)? We can create a book or DVD bundle for you! Call 518-732-0879 to speak to a staff member about ordering a bundle of up to 5 items. After assembling your order, staff will call you to schedule your pick-up.
All pick-ups will take place at a table next to the rear entrance of the library on First Street. When you arrive for your pick-up appointment, call the library at 518-732-0879 and a staff member will put your items on the table for you to pick up. Your items will already be checked out and a receipt will be bundled with your items.
We cannot accept returns at the pick-up table. If you have items to return, please put them in our outdoor book drop, located on the front lawn.
Patrons who are coming to pick up or return materials must practice appropriate physical distancing. Staff will also be required to wear a mask and practice physical distancing.
Print/Fax services: Have a document that you need printed, or a digital document you need to fax? Send it to print@castletonpubliclibrary.org, along with how many copies you need and whether in color or black & white (for print jobs), number to be faxed to (for fax orders) and your phone number. We can only offer digital-to-print services at this time and cannot make photocopies or fax hard copies. Once your order is ready, one of our staff members will call you to arrange pick-up of your order. There is no charge for printing/fax service during this time.
Tax forms: We have a limited number of Federal and NYS tax forms and instruction booklets available for pick-up, while supplies last. Call 518-732-0879 to arrange pick-up. Please have the specific tax form number you need in order to fill your request.
If you no longer want to check out items you requested, please call 518-732-0879 and ask a staff member to cancel your hold or visit your library account online to cancel your hold.

Returns

All library items must be returned using the outdoor book drop.
If the book drop is full when you attempt to return items, please hold on to the items and try to return them at a later time. We will empty the book drop at least twice daily on weekdays and once a day on weekends. We ask for your understanding and patience as CPL's staff works to handle an unprecedented volume of returned items.
All returned materials will be quarantined for 3 days before they are made available to borrow again. That means it may take up to 5 days for materials you have returned to be removed from your account. If you have returned an item and still see it on your account after 10 days, call us at 518-732-0879 or send an email to director@castletonpubliclibrary.org.
All late fees/fines will be waived during this time.

Looking Forward

The library space is not open to the public yet. When we do open to the public, we will have to limit how many people are in the library at any given time, and our services will be limited.
Patrons will be required to wear masks when they are in the library for the foreseeable future. If you are unable to wear a mask, we can provide curbside service.
For detailed information regarding our reopening plan, please see our board-approved Phased Reopening Plan. Our Phased Reopening Plan is a guide for our gradual reopening, which is designed to incorporate safety protocols for our community and staff, with services gradually increasing as public health guidance evolves. Although we use the word "phase" in our reopening plan, CPL's phases are not directly tied to the Governor's reopening phases.

Summer Reading Club

Our Summer Reading Club starts in a few short weeks! We have our official Summer Reading Club Virtual Kickoff events on Saturday, June 27 (see below for details). We'll have more information about this summer's activities and reading fun available on our website after June 15! Stay tuned!

Have questions? Reach out to me at 518-732-0879 or email me at director@castletonpubliclibrary.org.

We hope you and your loved ones are staying safe, healthy, and connected!

Best,

Melissa Tacke

Virtual Events & Meetings - Live

CPL Board of Trustees Meeting

Monday, June 15, 7:00 p.m.

Monthly meeting of the CPL Board of Trustees. Members of the public are welcome to attend. A recording and full transcription of the meeting will be available at a later date. Please email director@castletonpubliclibrary.org for Zoom connection information.

Virtual Book Club: An American Marriage

Monday, June 22, 8:00 p.m.

Join us for a discussion of An American Marriage by Tayari Jones. Please email director@castletonpubliclibrary.org for Zoom connection information for the discussion.

Everyone can borrow the eBook or digital audiobook at the same time using Hoopla!

Summer Reading Club Virtual Kickoff Events

Saturday, June 27, 11:00 a.m. - 3:00 p.m.

It’s time to sign up for the Summer Reading Club! Celebrate the beginning of the summer with virtual events for children of all ages! Kids ages 7 and under are invited to a Live Virtual Storytime at 11:00 a.m., kids going into 3rd-5th grades in the fall can participate in Kids Book Bingo at 12:00 p.m., and teens going into 6th-12th grades in the fall are invited to a Teen Book Bingo at 2:00 p.m.! Please email youthservices@castletonpubliclibrary.org for Zoom connection information.

Family Singalong with Kevin Smith

Tuesday, June 30, 6:00-7:00 p.m.

Get ready for some fun live music for your little ones! Kevin Smith will be leading a live singalong. Please email youthservices@castletonpubliclibrary.org for Zoom connection information.

TED Talk Discussion Series

Wednesday, July 1, 8:00 p.m.

Our TED Talk Discussion Series returns -- in virtual form! We'll watch 2 short TED talks on a shared theme, then discuss. For adults. Please email director@castletonpubliclibrary.org for Zoom connection information.

Teen Time: Virtual Clue

Thursday, July 2, 4:00 p.m.

Teens going into in 6th-12th grades in the fall are invited to play a virtual game of Clue! There will be small prizes for winners! Please email youthservices@castletonpubliclibrary.org for Zoom connection information.

Virtual Classes & Events - Available Anytime!

Virtual Storytime with Miss Joelle

Little ones can enjoy storytime with Miss Joelle anytime! A new storytime is added every Wednesday. Click here for our Virtual Storytime YouTube playlist.

Cool Science at Home!

Explore science learning at home with Miss Joelle. New videos will be added on 6/15 and 6/29! Click here for our Cool Science at Home YouTube playlist.

Kids Cook

Explore the world of cooking with Miss Joelle! A new video will be added on 6/23. We add a new video once per month. Click here for our Kids Cook YouTube playlist.

Take & Make Crafts

Coming soon! We'll offer a weekly craft kit for pick-up from the library that links to a short how-to video. We'll have a new kit each Friday, beginning 6/26!

Virtual Library Resources

We're Here to Help!

Our staff are available to respond to your questions and to troubleshoot issues connecting to digital resources. Send an email to director@castletonpubliclibrary.org or call 518-732-0879.

WiFi Outside Our Building

Our WiFi is available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. You can access the public WiFi at the picnic table on the front lawn, or alongside the building on Stimpson Avenue (the signal is strongest near the front of the building). Just look for the network called "Castleton Public Library." There's no password to connect!

OverDrive (digital books, audiobooks, and magazines)

The Upper Hudson Library System hosts a great collection of ebooks and digital audiobooks, digital magazines, and streaming video on OverDrive. It's easier than ever to enjoy them on your desktop computer or mobile device. All you need is your library card. Learn more on the UHLS OverDrive Getting Started page.

Don't have a library card? Get a temporary barcode for digital access here: https://sierra.uhls.org/selfreg

Here are some other helpful links for getting started using OverDrive:
https://tinyurl.com/OD-help
https://tinyurl.com/OD-Video

Hoopla (digital books, audiobooks, comics, music, TV, and movies)

The Upper Hudson Library System hosts a great collection of ebooks and digital audiobooks, comics, music, TV, and movies on Hoopla. Enjoy popular titles without having to wait -- titles can be used by multiple users at once, on demand! Please note that each person is limited to 5 checkouts per month.

All you need to connect is your library card! Don't have a card? Get a temporary barcode for digital access here: https://sierra.uhls.org/selfreg

Flipster (digital magazines)

Use Flipster to read the complete contents of our most popular digital magazines on your computer or mobile device. There is no separate account to set up - your library card grants you access from wherever you are. Titles include People, The New Yorker, Consumer Reports Buying Guide, Martha Stewart Living, and Real Simple.

Don't have a library card? Get a temporary barcode for digital access here: https://sierra.uhls.org/selfreg

Ancestry Library Edition (genealogy / family history)

Ancestry Library Edition brings the world’s most popular consumer online family history resource to your library. Its 7,000 databases deliver an unprecedented online collection of individuals from North America, the United Kingdom, Europe, Australia, and more.

Don't have a library card? Get a temporary barcode for digital access here: https://sierra.uhls.org/selfreg

AudioBookCloud (digital audiobooks for all ages)

The AudioBookCloud offers free digital access to audiobooks for all ages! No library card is needed.

Romance Book Cloud

Looking for steamy romance? Read to your heart's content through the Romance Book Cloud. No library card is needed.

Project Gutenberg

Project Gutenberg is an online library of over 60,000 free eBooks and audiobooks. No library card is needed! You will find the world's great literature here, with focus on older works for which U.S. copyright has expired.

Teen Book Cloud (Young Adult eBooks)

Teens, are you looking for something new to read? The Teen Book Cloud includes graphic novels, fiction, non-fiction, and more! No library card is needed.

Tumble Book Library (eBooks for kids grades K-6)

Check out the Tumble Book Library! TumbleBooks offers a great collection of children's eBooks geared toward grades K-6 that you can access at home. No library card is needed.

TumbleMath (math eBooks for grades K-6)

Check out TumbleMath! TumbleMath offers a great collection of math resources geared toward grades K-6 that you can access at home. No library card is needed.

NOVEL NY (News and magazine articles, encyclopedias, & more)

NOVEL NY gives communities across New York State online access to the full text of hundreds of journals, newspapers, and other references. No library card required when accessing from anywhere in New York State.

New York Heritage (local history resources)

New York Heritage is a portal for learning more about the people, places and events that contributed to the making of New York State. No library card is required.

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COVID-19 Library Services Update

Register for CPL's Summer Reading Club!

June 2020 Newsletter

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